By Franz Beard
A few thoughts to jump start your Wednesday morning:
“Regardless of the circumstances, regardless of the past, regardless of what hasn’t happened before, you really got a choice to make. You can complain and remain the same or you can wake up every day and make a decision and you can commit and work toward the possibilities.” – Billy Napier
Three months since taking over as Florida’s head coach and four practices into spring football, Billy Napier sees players making the choice to put the complaints and the past behind them to work toward the future. He seems to be living by the old coaching adage that once you win over the hearts and minds of your players their bodies will follow.
Only with Napier, this hearts and minds thing isn’t just about football.
“I really believe in our players right now,” Napier said Tuesday evening after the Gators had finished their fourth of 15 allotted spring practices. “It’s all about a change in their thinking. If they can do that, they can change their lives. A lot of that has nothing to do with football but it’s where we’re at as a whole here.”
The transformation from an under-achieving, undisciplined team of the past two seasons into a focused, motivated team is being embraced by the team. Even players who either can’t practice this spring or who are limited because of class schedules are part of the buy-in.
Nay’Quan Wright, who suffered a broken ankle in the Florida State game, isn’t practicing this spring. It’s killing him to watch but he’s doing his part as a leader. Ventrell Miller, who is trying to graduate in the summer, has a class conflict on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so he’s only out there on Saturdays.
Both are making their presence felt.
“He has some leadership qualities,” Napier said about Wright. “We need the guy. We not only need the guy at running back – we’re missing the guy from that perspective – but we’re also missing his ability to affect the rest of the team. I would say in my short time Nay’Quan is one of the players I have the most respect for just because of his approach and overall attitude.”
Miller suffered a torn labrum in the second game of the season in 2021. The leading tackler on the team in 2020, his absence was felt in a very big way, both in terms of on the field productivity, but leadership. When Miller was able to practice on Saturday, Napier noted “you could feel his presence.” Like Wright, Miller is a natural born leader who teammates follow.
The Gators are still four practices away from a first scrimmage that will go a long way toward telling Napier just how much progress has been made and just how much more will have to be made for this to be a successful spring. For now, at least, progress is being measured in large part by the players’ acceptance of a total transformation of the football program.
So often when there is a complete overhaul in a football program some players dig in their heels and refuse change while others are drug forward kicking and screaming while attempting to hold onto the past. Napier isn’t seeing that.
“To be honest with you, we have had zero resistance and I think that’s probably the biggest compliment I could give the players is they’ve completely embraced every change,” Napier said. “I think the people in the organization have done a good job of establishing trust. There’s been really good communication. I think we’ve explained why we do what we do and how we do it and overall we’ve hired really good people, people that are experts at what they do and I think immediately when the players sense that they care for them and they can help them, that’s the reason we haven’t had much resistance at all. It’s probably the best thing about where we’re at right now, the reception from the players.”
That’s not to say everything is perfect. Buy-in is one thing, but breaking habits formed in some cases over three or four years can be problematic. Instead of seeing this as a problem, Napier sees players who are at least making the effort to leave the old ways behind and embrace his far more disciplined approach.
“I think we still have a ways to go relative to being on time, being engaged, some of the habits that need to improve, some of the self-discipline that needs to improve, but overall, we’ve got guys that are trying,” Napier said. “I think it comes back to trust. It's the straw that stirs the drink. I think that’s what we’ve established to some degree. We’re in the middle of the football component. I think you work a lot on intangibles in the offseason. Phase one and two is a lot about defining expectations, being consistent, being fair and for them to know you’re not going to blink and they got to do it a certain way. I think it’s important that we’re all on the same page within the organization. The staff has done a terrific job in that regard so yeah, there’s no question. Ultimately they’re going to get to a point where they trust what’s happening and they can wake up each day, come in and do the work and do the prescribed work the right way. I think that’s where we need to improve.”
FABIAN’S TWO HOMERS LIFT UF OVER BETHUNE-COOKMAN, 3-2
Jud Fabian second home run Tuesday night, a solo shot to left field to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning, provided the winning margin as the 7th-ranked Gators (16-5) scored a 3-2 win over Bethune-Cookman at the Florida Ballpark.
The two home runs were the ninth and 10th of the season for Fabian, who has gone yard four times over the last four games. Fabian, who leads the Gators with 10 homers and 25 RBI, had a double to go with a fifth inning solo homer as he raised his batting average to .320.
Five Florida pitchers allowed just one hit on the night. Picking up the win was Phil Abner, who held the Wildcats hitless in two innings of relief to even his record at 1-1. Karl Hartman pitched the ninth to get his first career save.
The Gators are idle until Friday when LSU comes to Gainesville for a three-game SEC series.
DELBREY, LUGO COMBINE TO 2-HIT STETSON
Lexie Delbrey and Natalie Lugo combined to limit Stetson to two hits Tuesday night in DeLand as the 6th-ranked Gators improved their record to 26-3 with a 7-0 win over the Hatters. Delbrey (9-1) gave up one hit in five innings while walking two and striking out seven. Lugo went the final two innings, allowing one hit and striking out three.
The Gators backed the pitching with a 10-hit attack, led by Charla Echols, who had a 2-run homer and a run-scoring single. Reagan Walsh hit her team-leading fifth homer. Cheyenne Lindsey went 3-3 with an RBI while Kendra Falby had a single, a triple and a stolen base.
The Gators will play host to Stetson tonight at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium (6 p.m., SEC Network+).
GYMNASTICS: GATORS NO. 2 OVERALL SEED FOR NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Gators own a rather impressive win over Oklahoma during the regular season but the Sooners still have the top average score for the season (198.140), which is ever so slightly better than Florida’s 198.135. That fractional difference earned Oklahoma the top seed in the NCAA Championships while Florida is seeded No. 2.
The Gators will be the top seed at the Auburn regional which will take place March 30-April 2. Joining the Gators will be No. 7 Auburn, No. 10 Kentucky, No. 15 Denver, No. 17 Ohio State, No. 23 Georgia, No. 27 Southern Utah, No. 28 Iowa State and No. 36 Western Michigan.
College Gym News issued its final regular season individual power rankings, which were dominated by Gator All-American Trinity Thomas, who has six perfect 10s this season and 14 for her UF career.
Here is how the Gators stacked up:
All-Around: 2. Thomas; 5. Leanne Wong; Vault: 1. Thomas; Bars: 4. Thomas; Beam: 2. Thomas; Floor: 1. Nya Reed; 2. Thomas
UF MEN’S GOLF: GATORS FINISH THIRD
The Gators posted their fifth straight top five finish Tuesday when they finished third at the Linger Longer Tournament in Eatonton, Georgia, 14 shots behind first place Georgia. Fred Biondi shot a final round 72 to finish in a tie for seventh at 6-under for the tournament.
SEC FOOTBALL/BASKETBALL STUFF
Alabama: Alex Tchikou, a 6-11 former 4-star recruit that was one of the top players in an outstanding 2021 recruiting class is joining 6-6 forward Keon Ambrose-Hylton and and backup point guard Jaden Quinerly in the transfer portal.
Georgia: “Receiver and DB, we’ve never been this thin,” said Georgia coach Kirby Smart after Tuesday’s practice.
Kentucky: Safety Vito Tisdale has suffered a torn meniscus and ACL and will miss the entire 2022 season.
LSU: With the decommitment of 5-star center Yohan Traore, LSU has lost its entire basketball recruiting class since the firing of Will Wade and hiring of Matt McMahon.
Missouri: New coach Dennis Gates was greeted by the transfers of second leading scorer Javon Pickett and 6-9 forward Trevon Brazile.
Texas A&M: At the Aggies Pro Day, running back Isaiah Spiller ran a 4.69 in the 40 and tight end Jalen Wydermyer ran a 5.03, both time much slower than anticipated.
ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Sean Miller is coaching again at Xavier even though he was fired at Arizona when the NCAA handed down a Notice of Allegations stemming from the college basketball corruption trials that resulted in five Level I violations specific to Miller. He was fired last spring and hired on Sunday by Xavier. South Carolina was one of several schools that tried to hire Miller, oblivious to the fact that the Arizona case will go to the Independent Accountability Resolution Process and will likely result in Miller receiving a show cause and suspension for a number of games at Xavier next year. Arizona, the school that fired him, will likely have to miss the postseason in 2023, but those folks will laugh their silly heads off if Zona manages to win the NCAA title this year. That’s entirely possible since the Wildcats are a No. 1 seed and a ferocious defense and rebounding team.
Juwan Howard has Michigan in the Sweet 16 and if the Wolverines can manage two wins this weekend, they’ll make the Final Four. Howard, if you recall, was suspended for a few meaningless games at the end of the regular season for striking a Wisconsin assistant and touching off a brawl. That the brawl was contained fairly quickly seems irrelevant. The fact that Howard, who has a history of thuggish behavior as Michigan’s coach, struck a coach and damn near incited something that could have resulted in something far worse, hit the coach is relevant. The fact that he got a slap on the wrist and wasn’t suspended for the postseason also is relevant.
I’m bothered by both these situations because they tell me you can violate rules of ethics and conduct and the price you pay is minimal. There was no outrage by the national media when Miller was hired by Xavier or when Howard got off lightly. Oh sure, some were saying “Bad Sean!” and “Bad Juwan,” which is like a football or basketball player who commits a flagrant foul looking at his teammates, thumping his chest and saying, “My bad!”
Both Sean Miller and Juwan Howard got off way too lightly. Defenders have been championing the two on talk radio claiming the damage to their reputations is irreversible. That so-called damage didn’t stop South Carolina from overlooking the fact that Sean Miller is a big-time cheater. It didn’t stop Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel and Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren from the kid gloves treatment of Howard. The Big Ten started out with nine NCAA Tournament teams. They’re down to two and Michigan is one of them.
When, if ever, are we going to stop accepting cheating and thuggery as the price you have to pay for winning? Maybe I’m too old because I still think that cheating and starting brawls should result in tough punishment.
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